The court observed that Dr Riji John's appointment had violated the UGC norms and directed to initiate the process to find a new vice-chancellor.
Published Nov 14, 2022 | 1:11 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 14, 2022 | 7:02 PM
The Kerala High Court order came on a petition by Dr KK Vijayan. (Supplied)
The High Court of Kerala on Monday, 14 November, annulled the appointment of Dr K Riji John as the vice-chancellor of Kochi-based Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS).
A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly held that John’s appointment had violated the Univerity Grants Commission (UGC) norm that a list of three shortlisted candidates should be forwarded to the Chancellor for the appointment.
The court also directed the Chancellor to initiate the process of appointing a new vice-chancellor, reported Live Law.
The development came even as the government and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan were locked in a fierce battle over the appointment of vice-chancellors in the state-run universities.
The high court revoked John’s appointment based on a petition by Dr KK Vijayan, who pointed out that UGC norms were violated while appointing the vice-chancellor.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Minister for Higher Education R Bindu said the fisheries university was not part of her department.
“All appointments are made according to the guidelines of the UGC. If not, they would have been questioned. I don’t want to comment on KUFOS until I have all the information,” she said.
KUFOS is an autonomous public-funded institution established on 20 November 2010. The university is governed by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Act, 2010.
It is also the first fisheries university to be formed in India and it comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Government of Kerala.
Incidentally, John was among the nine vice-chancellors who the Governor had asked to resign.
Khan sought their resignation based on a recent Supreme Court order that annulled the appointment of Dr MS Rajashree as the vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. (South First)
The apex court nullified her appointment saying the search committee had forwarded only one name instead of the minimum of three.
Following the Supreme Court order, the Governor sought the resignation of the nine vice-chancellors, saying their appointments had violated the UGC norms.
The vice-chancellors were also served show-cause notices, asking them to explain why they should not be sacked. They later approached the high court, challenging the notices.
The ruling CPI(M) has been facing nepotism charges over the appointments to various posts in state-run universities.
The Governor’s demand for the vice-chancellors’ resignation sparked another round of tussling with the LDF government. The government on Thursday, 10 November removed Khan as the chancellor of Cheruthuruthi, Thrissur-based Kerala Kalamandalam, a centre for art and culture.
On Saturday, 12 November, the ruling LDF forwarded an ordinance for removing Khan as the Chancellor of all universities to the Raj Bhavan for the Governor’s assent. The Governor said he would not sit in judgement — if the ordinance targeted him — but would forward it to the President.
Addressing a news conference on 10 November, Minister Bindu had said that the LDF would bring in a legislation in the next Assembly session if the Governor refused the give assent to the ordinance. The Assembly is slated to meet in December.
